Mark Shruiff and his fellow firefighters don't collect old cars and pickup trucks as a hobby, even though they enjoy getting their hands on a wreck.
The chief of Neebing's volunteer fire department said the outfit's new battery-powered extrication unit is a marvel, but they're running low on vehicles to practice it on.
The new $56,000 auto-extrication device "is 100 per cent portable, and it opens and closes much faster," Shruiff said on Monday.
He added: "It's heavy, but it's very well-balanced."
Its spreading apparatus — which helps create enough space to remove trapped crash victims — is capable of exerting 140,000 pounds of force, Shruiff said.
Shruiff said though it depends on the difficulty of each collision scene, there should be enough battery power in the unit to pry open two vehicles in succession.
Neebing's fire department has previously used gas-powered hydraulic extrication equipment tethered to hoses.
The new battery-powered version gives firefighters more mobility around a crash scene.
On Thursday, passersby may have noticed firefighters trying out the new extrication unit at the municipality's Fire Hall No. 2 on Cloud Lake Road.
Of the machine's total cost, $20,000 was raised through 50-50 draws overseen by the Neebing Fire Rescue Association.
When locals donate a wreck, firefighters try to make arrangements to pick it up, Shruiff said.
Neebing has five fire halls because the municipality is so large geographically. Though the fire department has 35 volunteers, Shruiff said that, like other rural departments, trying to attract new recruits is a constant task.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or donating a vehicle can contact Shruiff by email at firechief@neebing.org.
Carl Clutchey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with the Chronicle-Journal.
